• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

TOWERS

Austin city life since 2007.

  • News
    • Condo Projects
    • Neighborhoods
  • Listings
    • Austin Condo Guide
  • Newsletter
Search
You are here: Home / News / Current Events Aside, Downtown Austin’s BBVA Tower Plan Is Extremely Narrow
Search suggestions: condos for sale • rainey street

Current Events Aside, Downtown Austin’s BBVA Tower Plan Is Extremely Narrow

James Rambin March 19, 2020 Comment

It is! Image: Ryan Companies / Kimley-Horn / Page

If keeping up with the news over the last week has you more than a little burnt out, we’re here with a welcome distraction — the 60-story apartment and office tower planned by BBVA USA and developer Ryan Companies at 321 West Sixth Street in downtown Austin is extremely narrow. How narrow, you ask? Very.

Image: Page

But you wouldn’t necessarily be able to tell that from the perspective of the rendering above, which comes from the tower’s designers at local architecture firm Page. That’s because we’re looking at the building’s southern side up there, and it’s only noticeably narrow on the eastern and western sides — new architectural drawings recently filed with the city for the project reveal more of its secrets:

Architectural illustrations of the 321 West Sixth tower show its scale and surprisingly narrow eastern and western elevations. The wider podium of the structure contains retail, parking, and office space, while the thinner tower section contains its approximately 360 apartment units. Click for a larger view. Image: Ryan Companies / Kimley-Horn / Page

As you can see from the illustrations above, the podium of the tower seemingly fills the site’s 0.47-acre footprint, but tapers off after that — that podium contains, according to the developers, two levels of retail at the ground floor, parking up to level 12, office space on floors 12 through 17, residential amenity space on 18 and 19, and apartment units in the skinnier levels above that all the way up to the 60th floor. 

Yeah, that’s narrow. On the left is the tower’s western-facing elevation, with the southern-facing elevation on the right. Image: Ryan Companies / Kimley-Horn / Page

So just how narrow is that upper section of the tower? Based on the scale and measurements provided in the drawings above, we estimate the tower’s upper section is approximately 73 feet wide, give or take a few, on those western and eastern sides. New York’s Steinway Tower, which currently holds the record for the thinnest skyscraper in the world, is 60 feet wide at its base — so although the BBVA tower has a fatter podium, that tower section is still pretty slim!

A rendering of the Hyatt Centric hotel project bound for 721 Congress Avenue, which is also “notably narrow” on its eastern and western sides. Image: Nelsen Partners / Hyatt Centric

Still, it’s not even the narrowest tower expected in town at the moment, with the Hyatt Centric Hotel planned for 721 Congress Avenue clocking in at less than 50 feet wide on its eastern and western sides. The Royal Arch tower plan is pretty slim too, even though its chances of getting built are equally quite slim due to the carryings-on of our backwards-ass Historic Landmark Commission. Anyway, the mercurial state of the global economy due to some unfortunate current events means we don’t precisely know what’s getting built around here and when, but the BBVA tower was last expected for groundbreaking sometime later this year. Either way, it’s narrow!

Latest Downtown Austin Condos For Sale

  • $719,950 48 East Ave #2705
    Austin, TX
  • $1,400,000 44 East Avenue #1910
    Austin, TX
  • $1,995,000 501 West Avenue #1604
    Austin, TX
  • $489,900 800 Embassy Drive #111
    Austin, TX
  • $1,165,000 202 Nueces Street #2304
    Austin, TX
  • $590,000 1212 Guadalupe Street #701
    Austin, TX
  • $679,900 222 West Avenue #2707
    Austin, TX
  • $660,000 84 East Avenue #2402
    Austin, TX
  • $990,000 603 Davis Street #1103
    Austin, TX
  • $2,390,000 44 East Avenue #2101
    Austin, TX
  • $799,000 360 Nueces Street #1007
    Austin, TX
  • $524,500 44 East Avenue #3106
    Austin, TX
  • $530,000 40 N Interstate 35 Highway #3C3
    Austin, TX
  • $895,000 84 East Avenue #1903
    Austin, TX
  • $260,000 1800 Lavaca Street #A-614
    Austin, TX
48 East Ave #2705
Austin, TX
Photo of 48  East Ave #2705, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 1392753)
$719,950
Lot Size
17,904 sqft

Home Size
740 sqft

Beds
1 Bed

Baths
1 Bath

44 East Avenue #1910
Austin, TX
Photo of 44  East Avenue #1910, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2109028)
$1,400,000
Lot Size
96 sqft

Home Size
1,260 sqft

Beds
2 Beds

Baths
2 Baths

501 West Avenue #1604
Austin, TX
Photo of 501  West Avenue #1604, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 8444978)
$1,995,000
Lot Size
44 sqft

Home Size
2,009 sqft

Beds
3 Beds

Baths
3 Baths

800 Embassy Drive #111
Austin, TX
Photo of 800  Embassy Drive #111, Austin, TX 78702 (MLS # 8782553)
$489,900
Lot Size
N/A

Home Size
755 sqft

Beds
1 Bed

Baths
1 Bath

202 Nueces Street #2304
Austin, TX
Photo of 202  Nueces Street #2304, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 9752684)
$1,165,000
Lot Size
N/A

Home Size
921 sqft

Beds
1 Bed

Baths
1 Bath

1212 Guadalupe Street #701
Austin, TX
Photo of 1212  Guadalupe Street #701, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 3986464)
$590,000
Lot Size
305 sqft

Home Size
966 sqft

Beds
2 Beds

Baths
2 Baths

222 West Avenue #2707
Austin, TX
Photo of 222  West Avenue #2707, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 6684372)
$679,900
Lot Size
N/A

Home Size
685 sqft

Beds
1 Bed

Baths
1 Bath

84 East Avenue #2402
Austin, TX
Photo of 84  East Avenue #2402, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 9730236)
$660,000
Lot Size
17,163 sqft

Home Size
697 sqft

Beds
1 Bed

Baths
1 Bath

603 Davis Street #1103
Austin, TX
Photo of 603  Davis Street #1103, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2745829)
$990,000
Lot Size
305 sqft

Home Size
1,699 sqft

Beds
3 Beds

Baths
3 Baths

44 East Avenue #2101
Austin, TX
Photo of 44  East Avenue #2101, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 8844502)
$2,390,000
Lot Size
162 sqft

Home Size
2,032 sqft

Beds
3 Beds

Baths
3 Baths

360 Nueces Street #1007
Austin, TX
Photo of 360  Nueces Street #1007, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 4007514)
$799,000
Lot Size
114 sqft

Home Size
852 sqft

Beds
1 Bed

Baths
1 Bath

44 East Avenue #3106
Austin, TX
Photo of 44  East Avenue #3106, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 9237666)
$524,500
Lot Size
N/A

Home Size
538 sqft

Beds
1 Bed

Baths
1 Bath

40 N Interstate 35 Highway #3C3
Austin, TX
Photo of 40 N Interstate 35 Highway #3C3, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2185760)
$530,000
Lot Size
1,011 sqft

Home Size
1,288 sqft

Beds
2 Beds

Baths
2 Baths

84 East Avenue #1903
Austin, TX
Photo of 84  East Avenue #1903, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 6164670)
$895,000
Lot Size
17,154 sqft

Home Size
969 sqft

Beds
2 Beds

Baths
2 Baths

1800 Lavaca Street #A-614
Austin, TX
Photo of 1800  Lavaca Street #A-614, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 5987903)
$260,000
Lot Size
279 sqft

Home Size
632 sqft

Beds
1 Bed

Baths
1 Bath

  • 48 East Ave #2705
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 48  East Ave #2705, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 1392753)
    $719,950
    Lot Size
    17,904 sqft

    Home Size
    740 sqft

    Beds
    1 Bed

    Baths
    1 Bath

  • 44 East Avenue #1910
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 44  East Avenue #1910, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2109028)
    $1,400,000
    Lot Size
    96 sqft

    Home Size
    1,260 sqft

    Beds
    2 Beds

    Baths
    2 Baths

  • 501 West Avenue #1604
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 501  West Avenue #1604, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 8444978)
    $1,995,000
    Lot Size
    44 sqft

    Home Size
    2,009 sqft

    Beds
    3 Beds

    Baths
    3 Baths

  • 800 Embassy Drive #111
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 800  Embassy Drive #111, Austin, TX 78702 (MLS # 8782553)
    $489,900
    Lot Size
    N/A

    Home Size
    755 sqft

    Beds
    1 Bed

    Baths
    1 Bath

  • 202 Nueces Street #2304
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 202  Nueces Street #2304, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 9752684)
    $1,165,000
    Lot Size
    N/A

    Home Size
    921 sqft

    Beds
    1 Bed

    Baths
    1 Bath

  • 1212 Guadalupe Street #701
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 1212  Guadalupe Street #701, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 3986464)
    $590,000
    Lot Size
    305 sqft

    Home Size
    966 sqft

    Beds
    2 Beds

    Baths
    2 Baths

  • 222 West Avenue #2707
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 222  West Avenue #2707, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 6684372)
    $679,900
    Lot Size
    N/A

    Home Size
    685 sqft

    Beds
    1 Bed

    Baths
    1 Bath

  • 84 East Avenue #2402
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 84  East Avenue #2402, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 9730236)
    $660,000
    Lot Size
    17,163 sqft

    Home Size
    697 sqft

    Beds
    1 Bed

    Baths
    1 Bath

  • 603 Davis Street #1103
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 603  Davis Street #1103, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2745829)
    $990,000
    Lot Size
    305 sqft

    Home Size
    1,699 sqft

    Beds
    3 Beds

    Baths
    3 Baths

  • 44 East Avenue #2101
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 44  East Avenue #2101, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 8844502)
    $2,390,000
    Lot Size
    162 sqft

    Home Size
    2,032 sqft

    Beds
    3 Beds

    Baths
    3 Baths

  • 360 Nueces Street #1007
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 360  Nueces Street #1007, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 4007514)
    $799,000
    Lot Size
    114 sqft

    Home Size
    852 sqft

    Beds
    1 Bed

    Baths
    1 Bath

  • 44 East Avenue #3106
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 44  East Avenue #3106, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 9237666)
    $524,500
    Lot Size
    N/A

    Home Size
    538 sqft

    Beds
    1 Bed

    Baths
    1 Bath

  • 40 N Interstate 35 Highway #3C3
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 40 N Interstate 35 Highway #3C3, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2185760)
    $530,000
    Lot Size
    1,011 sqft

    Home Size
    1,288 sqft

    Beds
    2 Beds

    Baths
    2 Baths

  • 84 East Avenue #1903
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 84  East Avenue #1903, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 6164670)
    $895,000
    Lot Size
    17,154 sqft

    Home Size
    969 sqft

    Beds
    2 Beds

    Baths
    2 Baths

  • 1800 Lavaca Street #A-614
    Austin, TX
    Photo of 1800  Lavaca Street #A-614, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 5987903)
    $260,000
    Lot Size
    279 sqft

    Home Size
    632 sqft

    Beds
    1 Bed

    Baths
    1 Bath

Previous Next
 

Related

Filed Under: News Tagged With: 78701, apartments, architecture, city life, design, development, mixed-use, narrow, offices, retail, towers

About James Rambin

James is an Austin native and fifth-generation Texan, but tries not to brag about it. Email him anything at james@towers.net.

608 Brentwood Street #A
Austin, TX
Photo of 608  Brentwood Street #A, Austin, TX 78752 (MLS # 3202099)
$1,000,000
28
  • Lot Size
    4,356 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,959 sqft

  • Beds
    3 Beds

  • Baths
    3 Baths

Previous Post: « Waterloo Central Office Project Heads for a Shuttered Smoke Shop Downtown
Next Post: See the City’s Silent Streets as Austinites Stay Home »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  •  Schedule a showing

FEATURED Listings

555 E 5th Street #912
Austin, TX
Photo of 555 E 5th Street #912, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2622869)
$3,250,000
38
  • Lot Size
    427 sqft

  • Home Size
    4,051 sqft

  • Beds
    3 Beds

  • Baths
    3 Baths

View Virtual Tour
210 Lavaca Street #2310
Austin, TX
Photo of 210  Lavaca Street #2310, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 8383770)
$1,849,000
35
  • Lot Size

  • Home Size
    1,423 sqft

  • Beds
    2 Beds

  • Baths
    3 Baths

View Virtual Tour
44 East Avenue #2307
Austin, TX
Photo of 44  East Avenue #2307, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 1482427)
$995,000
40
  • Lot Size

  • Home Size
    1,221 sqft

  • Beds
    2 Beds

  • Baths
    2 Baths

54 Rainey Street #1116
Austin, TX
Photo of 54  Rainey Street #1116, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 1317121)
$599,000
21
  • Lot Size
    218 sqft

  • Home Size
    852 sqft

  • Beds
    1 Bed

  • Baths
    1 Bath

603 Davis Street #604
Austin, TX
Photo of 603  Davis Street #604, Austin, TX 78701 (MLS # 2434110)
$625,988
22
  • Lot Size
    214 sqft

  • Home Size
    1,136 sqft

  • Beds
    2 Beds

  • Baths
    2 Baths

austin condo report

Featured Buildings

  • The Independent
  • Fifth & West
  • 360
  • Austin City Lofts
  • W Residences
  • The Shore
  • 70 Rainey

Footer

LEGAL NOTICE

TREC Information About Brokerage Services (pdf)

Texas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection Notice


TOWERS realty

Austin Condos For Sale

Agents

Downtown Buildings

Luxury Towers

  • Four Seasons Residences
  • W Hotel & Residences
  • The Austonian
  • 5 Fifty Five at Hilton

Most Popular

  • The Shore
  • 360 Condos
  • Seaholm Condos
  • Spring Condos
  • Milago Condos

New Construction

  • The Independent
  • 70 Rainey
  • Austin Proper
  • Fifth & West

Loft Style

  • Austin City Lofts
  • Brazos Place
  • The Sabine
  • Plaza Lofts
  • Brown Building

Resources

  • Austin Condo Guide
  • Condos For Sale
  • Condo Buyer FAQ
  • Property Search

Featured

Archives

Newsletter · About · Contact Us · DMCA · Privacy Policy · SLAPP · Copyright © 2007-2022 TOWERS.net · All Rights Reserved
 

Loading Comments...